Five Ways to Say 'I Love You'
by Air-Quiet-Reader
Summary: Sitting in a sea of crumpled love notes, Steven agonizes over the best way to reveal his feelings for Connie. In a fit of desperation, he seeks advice from each of his guardians, a choice that only makes his efforts more challenging.


_Verily, I doth proclaim my affection for you, my preciouseth Connie-_

 _I like you. Like, a lot. More than normal. You could even call it_

 _You're the brightest star in my universe_

Steven crushed his hands together and rolled up the offending sheet of paper into a tight ball, throwing it atop a small mountain of crumpled sheets filled with words that were not good enough. He sighed and stared down at the next blank page of his notebook, tapping his pen impatiently on the empty lines while sitting in his living room. The plain white paper seemed to taunt him as he wracked his brain with the best way he could express himself.

He just couldn't find the words that were the right fit. Television shows made writing a love letter seem simple, but actually blurting out his feelings onto a page and making them nice to read was proving more challenging than he was expecting. Connie had a knack for it, but he could hardly ask her for help. Every single line he could think of seemed too cheesy, or didn't really fit his personality, or didn't express how deep his feelings were, or —

"My feelings for you cannot be expressed with words," Steven spoke aloud, struck with another flash of inspiration, quickly scribbling the words across the page in a desperate rush to capture them. He read the line back to himself and groaned, head falling on the table with a dull thud. "But that's dumb! Why would I write it at all if they can't be expressed with words?!"

He raised the notebook — which had become his greatest foil — to his face, glaring at it. Almost out of reflex, he ripped out the page and added it to the growing pile of rejected letters.

Steven sighed out again, flopping down onto the soft couch and staring up at the empty ceiling above him. He stared at the aged wood paneling, counting the lines between the planks, setting his mind briefly adrift.

Faced with mounting failure, Steven contemplated whether trying to confess his love for Connie was even a sound idea. The thought of it made his gut flutter in a way he wasn't sure he liked. It sent a thrilling pulse through his entire body that made him feel like he could leap over mountains or jump to the stars. But it also made him terrified he would crash hard back down to the Earth if he tried to act on those feelings — and that made him choke on his words anytime he tried to form them.

But after everything they had been through, how much they had shared and experienced together, he felt like they were words that needed to be said.

He thought he owed that much to her, at least.

He recognized that watching that romantic-comedy marathon with her the previous night (it was his turn to pick what they watched) may have also inspired him, but he tried to downplay that in his mind.

The familiar sound of the temple door opening sent Steven springing back up in a panic, evidence of his rather embarrassing activity still spread haphazardly around him. Amethyst casually walked from behind the door, hands behind her head, eyes trained on the refrigerator. But when she saw Steven frantically trying to grab a handful of paper balls in his arms, she paced towards him, lips curling in a practiced smirk.

"Hey, little man. Whatcya got there?" Amethyst said as she approached, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Nothing!" Steven squeaked, letting go of the balls and letting them crash to his feet. He sweat under Amethyst's mischievous smile, hoping that he would get lucky and Amethyst would just leave him be. The last thing he wanted was for someone to read his half-formed, lame confessions — especially Amethyst.

"Nothing, uh?" Amethyst's grin widened, as her eyes glued to the crumpled pages. She suddenly fell to the floor and pounced towards Steven, grabbing onto a page that had escaped his arms. "What about these?"

"Amethyst, no!" Steven shouted, leaping down to try and pry the letter from Amethyst's fingers. Amethyst howled with laughter and rolled away, getting up into a run as she unfurled the paper and started to read aloud from it.

"Oh Connie, you make me feel like a...what? I love you with the fire of a thousand...geez Steven, you gotta finish these," Amethyst teased as she casually sidestepped several of Steven's attempts to grab the forsaken letter. "You're writing a love letter to Connie? Awww!"

Steven cheeks flushed red, and he put a hand to his face.

"Yes, Amethyst. I am. Can I have that back now?" he asked, holding out his other hand. Amethyst shrugged in response, returning it to him, expressing disappointment that it wasn't something juicier.

"Whaddya wanna do that for?" Amethyst replied as she trudged over to the refrigerator in search of something to fill her gullet. She opened it and her eyes scanned the barren shelves, face flashing in disappointment when she saw only regular food for Steven. She slammed the fridge in response. "Man, I gotta stock this up."

"I want her to know... h-how I feel," Steven stuttered, sitting back on the couch and staring on the half-finished sentences on the page with a frown. "That I...that I…"

"Doesn't she already know that? You're not exactly… Hmm, how do I put this," Amethyst droned on, one finger to her lips, eyes towards the ceiling as if she was thinking hard — thought it was obvious she was only pretending. "Subtle. Ya ain't exactly subtle, Steven."

Steven felt his cheeks grow warmer. "Maybe, but...but I want to say something special! What she means to me…" Steven smiled through his blush. "It just...feels good to hear it said, you know?"

"So why not just say it?" Amethyst leaned on the counter-top, looking distinctly bored. "What I would'a done."

"That's what I'm trying to do! But the words just don't feel right," Steven stared down at the page he retrieved from Amethyst again and glared at it.

"No, silly, not with a dumb letter. Just tell her and say it out loud," Amethyst explained, shaking her head at the boy.

"...I...I don't know if I can. It's just kinda...scary," Steven's voice quivered as he cast his eyes down in doubt. He had tried to rehearse a few romantic lines he could express, but he kept getting tongue-tied, even when he was completely alone. He wasn't confident he could say it aloud in front of her.

Amethyst sighed walking over to Steven and staring him down. "The problem is you're thinking too much. You just gotta spit it out simple," Amethyst explained, tapping the side of her head. "Here lemme show you!"

She morphed into her imitation of Steven, causing the boy to wince. He wasn't sure if he liked that in this context.

"Heya Connie!" Amethyst said in a bright, high-pitched voice. Steven's face turned into a full-on grimace. He didn't sound like that, did he?

"Just so you know, since I'm the biggest sap on the planet, I love you!" Amethyst shouted out, jumping with faux-joy and mimicking Steve's bright smile perfectly. She shifted back into her normal self and pointing at him. "Now you try!"

Steven grumbled, but decided to go along with Amethyst's idea. Trying to write or say something extravagant was not getting him anywhere. Perhaps keeping it simple really was how he could do it. He took a deep breath and concentrated, closing his eyes. He conjured the image of Connie in his mind, wearing her training garb, pink sword at her shoulder and hair flowing in the wind.

"I love you, Connie Maheshwaran," Steven whispered, opening his eyes and training them down to the floor, face flushing with embarrassment.

"Louder," Amethyst demanded, punching her fist into her open palm for emphasis.

"I love you, Connie Maheshwaran," Steven repeated, voice gaining a bit more strength. Confessing his love like this really wasn't so bad.

"Louder!" Amethyst shouted, raising her arms up, wearing a wide grin Steven wasn't sure he could explain.

"I love you Connie!" Steven shouted back, fingers curling into fists, voice increasing in volume and strength. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't want to back down from Amethyst's challenge.

"LOUDER! DON'T YOU WANT HER TO HEAR YOU?!"

"I LOVE YOU CONNIE!" Steven shouted at close to the top of his lungs, eyes shut tight with energy, before his breath broke and he panted for air.

"What is going on out here?!" Pearl burst through the temple door, her agitated voice betrayed by a distinctive smile. Steven gasped at the intrusion and started sweating profusely, while Amethyst laughed in delight at her successful mischief.

"I'm just coaching Steven on how he should…" She trailed off before putting on her best haughty voice. "Express his luurrrrve for Connie."

"Amethyst, please!" Steven flailed his arms, agitated Amethyst would just blurt it out that way. He turned to Pearl, more than a little embarrassed.

But Pearl was looking at him with a beaming smile and watery eyes, which made him even more nervous. Pearl shot Amethyst a glare before coming forward to take Steven's hand.

"Well, that's certainly very sweet. But yelling it out like a brute isn't the way to do it," Pearl said, turning her nose up. Amethyst scoffed back at her. "If you're looking for advice Steven, let's go somewhere a little quieter."

Steven let himself get dragged into Pearl's room, face flushed and unsure, but more than willing to leave Amethyst's presence. Talking with her about love was stressful.

"See ya later, loverboy!" Amethyst cackled from behind him as the door to the temple slammed shut.

"Now Steven, why don't you tell me about your feelings for Connie," Pearl asked, turning to face Steven and kneeling down to meet him at eye level.

Steven pouted and blushed, looking away and crossing his arms. "You already heard it."

"Well, yes, but it's not enough to just say those words. Tell me more," Pearl requested, hands rubbing together eagerly. "How does she make you feel?

Steven groaned at Pearl's eager expression, realizing he probably wasn't going to be able to squeeze out of it. He thought to himself for a moment, trying to find the words to describe it despite his struggles.

"Sometimes she makes me feel...like I'm eating a Cookie Cat," Steven sighed happily, sitting down on the metal floor of the room.

"...What?" Pearl's face morphed into a disappointed grimace.

"I just...I'm with her, and I forget about everything else. I just get so happy. Like in the moment, nothing else really matters. It...feels good," Steven recanted, translating his experience for Pearl's benefit.

Steven glanced up to see Pearl sigh wistfully, looking past him — a habit he was quite familiar with. He hoped she wasn't going to get sad about his mother over this; she had been working through those feelings so well lately.

"That's love alright," Pearl noted, nodding her head. "If you want to let her know how you feel, you can't simply blurt it out loud. Words are…" Pearl closed her eyes and frowned suddenly. Steven wondered what she might be thinking about. "Words are empty. You have to show her."

"How do I show her how I feel?" Steven asked, eager to hear and gain insight from the gem.

"Well, Steven, it's something you show her every day of your life," Pearl explained, springing upward and starting to pace. Steven recognized Pearl going into what he called teacher-mode and eagerly hung upon her words. "You show love by showing your devotion to her, by being by her side, by staying loyal and by always letting her know that you belong to...belong with her."

Steven nodded eagerly, wishing he had brought a notepad. He was still a little confused, but let Pearl go on.

"You show her your love with tokens of affection," Pearl went on, looking wistfully up at the high ceiling room. "Poems, or flowers or enem...fighting with her, protecting her — which you already do quite well, of course," Pearl assured, sending a smile down Steven's way. Steven raised a hand out of habit from their training lessons. "Yes?"

"But what if I want to do something really special?" Steven asked. "More than the stuff we do every day?"

Pearl's paused, hand stroking her chin. Her expression shifted into a deep frown as something dark appeared to mar her thoughts. She trained her eyes right at him and Steven once again felt like she was gazing at something beyond what was in front of her.

"You just...take time to spend with her, and only her," Pearl whispered, Steven having to strain to hear her. "Plan a day. Hold her. Keep yourself focused on only her. Show her that you're the only one with her. That she'll always be yours, and you'll always be hers."

Pearl walked past Steven as she spoke, continuing to gaze into empty air. Despite her empty eyes, Steven could guess what she was seeing — something that was never there. He got up and grabbed her hand.

"Are you okay?" he said, looking up at her nervously. The movement seemed to snap Pearl out of her reverie and she shook her head before looking down at him again.

"What? Oh, yes!" Pearl stammered out, realizing what she had been doing. She blushed, before closing her eyes and in an effort to refocus. "I'll be okay, Steven. I just...you reminded me of some things. Just...do you really want to do this for Connie? You're awfully young, you don't need to rush into this kind of thing."

Steven nodded and stared up at her resolutely. "I...I can't really see myself feeling this way about anyone else."

Pearl beamed down at him. "Be sure of that before you tell her. The worst thing...the worst thing you could do is not be completely sincere."

"I know," Steven replied, smiling back at her. "Thanks Pearl. But do you want to talk about anything on your mind?" He was still worried she might suffer in silence about his mom.

Pearl shook her head in response. "No, Steven, I'm fine. You made me think…but they were good thoughts, if that makes sense." She eyes looked nervous, but her posture was still strong and her smile reassuring.

"I think I know what you mean. But I better get to work if I'm going to do something for Connie. Thanks again Pearl," Steven opened the temple door, waving back as he walked out of her room. Pearl stood statuesque as the door shut, wistful smile prominent on her face.

Steven walked forward into his now empty abode, scratching his chin in thought. Like so many times before, Pearl could be difficult to handle emotionally and was often guarded about her sordid past. But she was getting better and he could see her healing. He would just have to trust that she was being honest.

In the meantime, she had given him helpful advice. He should try to make this moment more special to show Connie how much she meant to him — take Connie out on the town, have a fun day, just the two of them. He supposed it could be called a date, but his face flushed and his stomach growled at the thought of it, so he decided against that. One step at a time.

But he still wanted to actually tell Connie how deep his feelings went — otherwise she might not think much of a day out. He still wasn't sure how to do it; he should be open and plain, but blurting it out like Amethyst suggested didn't seem to be quite right in retrospect.

Steven decided he needed more guidance, and he knew just where he was going to find it.

He discovered his father at his usual spot for an early afternoon — spraying down a car with a hose outside his car wash, Walkman jacked in, waving his head and rocking out. Steven grinned at the sight; despite how the world kept changing, his dad always stayed the same.

Greg beamed when he caught sight of his son, pulling his headphones down over his neck. "Heya schtuball! What's happening?"

"Dad, how do you tell a girl you love her?" Steven got straight to the point, putting on a serious expression. He wanted to get this anxious weight off his chest.

"Aww geez," Greg said, scratching the back of his head. "Didn't think we'd be having this conversation for a little while yet. I'm guessing it's Connie?"

Steven blushed and nodded, before scrunching his face into a pout. "Is it that obvious?

"Well, you two are pretty inseparable. But nothing wrong with that kiddo; she's a great girl" Greg reassured, placing a comfortable hand on his son's shoulder. "Man, I just look at you now, growing up so fast. Seems like yesterday you were hollering at me to figure out who that girl in the crowd was."

"Daaaaad," Steven groaned, flushing lightly. He recalled being more than a little obnoxious in his desire to find out about Connie after she dropped her braclet during the parade where he first saw her.

"Alright, alright. Well, I happen to have an idea," Greg walked over to his van parked closer to the car wash building. Steven followed behind his Dad as his father rummaged through the mess that was his home and pulled out a guitar, jumping up to take a seat.

"Whenever I wanted to tell a girl — especially your mom — how I felt about her, I'd always whip up a little love song," Greg explained, strumming a couple of chords on his guitar. Steven's eyes turned bright as stars at the suggestion.

"That's a great idea! Why didn't I think of that?!" Steven immediately jumped up into the van, pulling out a small spare guitar Greg kept around for their jam sessions. "I'll write a love song for Connie!"

"That's the spirit," Greg grinned encouragingly, starting to strum a small melody. "Now remember, the words have to be sincere. You want to really make them special, nothing phony. Make her know that the song is only for her."

Greg's chords morphed into tune and he closed his eyes and sung, voice soft as a cloud:

" I see you there and my heart sings

Your past, to me, don't mean a thing

Here in this moment where we are

Falling in love beneath the stars"

The old musician opened his eyes to see his son's mouth hanging open in awe, eyes still starry.

"WOW! Did you play write that for mom?" Steven was practically bouncing on the edge of the van.

"You bet I did. And she certainly appreciated it," Greg sighed out, eyes looking up at the warm sky. Steven chose not to comment on the moment, his dad's gaze so much like Pearl's it was a little frightening.

"Well, I hope I can think of something that good for Connie," Steven made a subtle segue, starting to strum lightly on his own guitar, playing the same chords his father did.

" You make me feel like I can fly …" Steven trailed off, thinking about it. "No, I don't think that works quite right."

"Well, give it time, kiddo. I'm sure the words will come to ya," Greg encouraged, putting a soft hand on Steven's back. "But I better get back to work. You need anything else?"

"I think I'm alright. I'm going to head back to the temple and work on this song. Thanks dad, that really helped," Steven leapt up to give Greg a hug.

"Don't mention it," Greg replied, hugging Steven back, before the boy ran off in a hurry, guitar slung on his back. "I hope it works out as well as mine did."

Fragments of lyrics swum through Steven's mind as he raced back home, eager to start writing his next tune. He practically bounced along during his run; this would surely go much better than trying to come up with a love note. He was a natural at song writing! He'd come up with something awesome that could sweep Connie off her feet, like in the movies!

He burst through his door, relieved to see his abode empty, took out his guitar and leapt onto the couch, running his fingertips along the strings.

"Alright, let's see…" Steven began, lovingly playing a few felt right to him, music much more natural to his tastes than penning a love letter.

"You make me think of a sunrise," Steven hummed out softly, sounding out the words impromptu, as he often did when he wrote songs.

"You matter more to me than the bits of...fries ? No, no, that's not right," Steven grumbled out at the end of the weird line, shaking his head. He started from the top, patiently trying to think of more lyrics. He knew he could do it, like he had come up with song so many times before; this would be easy.

Two hours later, Steven was about ready to throw his guitar across the room.

Nothing he sang sounded right. The words he could come up with all sounded too corny or awkward, unable to capture the depth of his feelings. His nerves compounded upon themselves, muddying his mind and ruining his creative streak.

Groaning, Steven roughly threw the guitar next to him and dropped back into the couch. His calloused fingers curled into the cushions in frustration.

"Why does this have to be so hard?" Steven sighed out, closing his eyes and taking a few calming breaths. He struggled as he tried to ponder what he could do differently and why his heart felt like it was clogging his throat.

"Love can be a pretty hard thing," a deep, familiar, monotone voice stated. Steven opened his eyes to see Garnet leaning against the kitchen counter, mouth curved upward in a small smile.

"Garnet!" Steven's body sprung straight up, at the sudden visitor, not caring that his struggles had been overheard. If anyone could solve his love problem, surely it would be her.

"Steven," Garnet replied, walking forward with her sure step to take a seat next to him. Steven's body jumped upward as Garnet's weight touched down on the couch, as the fusion placed a comforting hand on the boy's back. "I sensed you needed some advice."

Steven nodded vigorously. "I need to know how to tell Connie that I love her. Everything I've tried to think of just doesn't...doesn't feel right ," Steven groaned out, putting his face into his hands. "Maybe I'm just overthinking this."

"Probably," Garnet nodded back before ruffling Steven's hair. "But love can do that to people."

"What should I tell her? Show her?" Steven asked again, spirits lifting slightly next to Garnet's calm demeanor. "How did Ruby tell Sapphire? Or Sapphire tell Ruby?"

Garnet laughed at that — a short, knowing chuckle, as if the two namesake gems were sharing a private joke.

"Steven, did you know that Homeworld doesn't have a word for love?"

"They don't?" Steven asked, shifting slightly to the edge of the couch. He sensed he was going to get a story, and his eyes lit up at the prospect.

Garnet shook her head. "Homeworld had many words," she began, voice dropping into a more serious tone. Steven noticed Garnet's large hands start to tense up slightly. "For loyalty, devotion, pride in what they did. But the idea of love was completely alien to them. Every gem had its purpose, and was satisfied by their places in Homeworld society. They felt devoted to their diamonds, inspired by them, but love? Homeworld had no place or use for it."

"But then...how did Ruby and Sapphire know that...well...they were in love?" Steven stuttered out the question, worry etched on his features. Garnet put on a small smirk at that.

"When Sapphire and Ruby got to know each other on Earth, they didn't know what they were feeling. They liked it, but they were confused and lost. And as they fused and grew and experimented together, they still didn't know how to describe it. It wasn't for some time until Rose Quartz taught them the meaning of the word 'love,' which she learned from humans. As soon as they heard it, they knew it was exactly what they felt for each other."

"Aww," Steven sighed out and held his head in his hands, enraptured in Garnet's every word.

"But the thing is...the word wasn't really needed," Garnet went on. Her smile suddenly grew wide, flashing Steven her teeth. "Though don't get me wrong. Ruby had fun saying it all the time, and they both loved hearing it. It really started to grate on Pearl's nerves."

"I bet," Steven replied, grinning at the picture in his mind. He was reminded of their day playing baseball with the rubies — and how lovably insufferable Garnet's components were.

"But they already knew how they felt about each other through everything else they did together. The word was a reminder, but it wasn't what they built their relationship on. Love takes time and it takes work. It's a feeling, a process, a relationship. A partnership," Garnet explained.

"I know that," Steven reminisced, reminding himself of all the afternoon, adventures, conversations and experiences he had gone through with Connie. "But I just...want her to know. I want to...I want us...if she does, anyway, to be more together."

"If you're honest with your feelings, however you choose to express them, she won't reject you," Garnet stated confidently, adjusting her visor. She laughed lightly after that. "Though there's some...interesting...possibilities with that."

"Aww geez, what are they?" Steven moaned, face tingling slightly red as he pictured all the ways he could embarrass himself.

"Don't worry about it. Your chances are very good. Although if you're really still struggling with this, I think there might be a simple answer," Garnet lifted her visor down to reveal only her third eye. The purple iris blinked, but Steven could tell the fusion meant it as a wink.

Steven gasped and his face brightened with a wide smile as he caught onto what Garnet was suggesting.

"Would that really work?" Steven let out in a breathy whisper, excitement squeezing his vocal chords into quiet.

"I think it would. But just about anything could. You're both crazy about each other," Garnet grinned at him, putting her visor back into place and standing up. "Know what you're gonna do?"

"I do," Steven nodded back, shooting Garnet a thumbs up. "Thanks so much Garnet! I better go start getting ready if I'm going to pull this off," Steven said, rushing up his stairs two steps at a time. Garnet looked on as Steven pulled out a notebook from under his bed and started furiously scribbling into it.

"Don't mention it," Garnet beamed up at the distracted boy, crossing her arms and watching love in motion.

* * *

The gentle tide of the ocean lulled the pair's laughter into a quiet peace as they watched the sun set over the water, painting it beautiful array of red and orange hues. The familiar, moist sand beneath them was a comfort as silence overtook them, both willing to let the moment sink in.

Steven was deliberate in choosing this spot to end a day of madcap delight with Connie. The beach had been where he had first really met her, where they had fought against Jasper, where they had confronted their demons and where they had first fused. However far they might travel, this spot would always have meaning for them.

The day that Steven refused to classify as a date had gone about as well as he could have imagined. A trip to Funland, a delightful day on the boardwalk and a quiet dinner at his home. It was simple, but they were together, and that made it just about perfect.

Most important to him was getting to spend time with Connie, just getting to do normal kid stuff instead of training or saving the world. It was a nice change of pace, and judging by Connie's exuberant joy throughout the day, he could tell they both had needed it.

He smiled softly while looking at Connie, whose face was turned away as she enjoyed the sunset. He felt warm as he glanced at her, face shining under the light of the sun. She helped remind him of what made Earth so important to defend. She was an oasis, someone he could turn to when needed respite from all the chaos of his life. And he hoped he was the same to her.

"So…" Connie trailed off as her eyes shifted to glance sidelong at Steven, catching him looking at her. Steven's face flushed red and he swung his head away rapidly, earning a soft giggle from Connie. "Are you going to tell me what's been bugging you all day?"

"I...I have no idea what you're talking about," Steven crossed his arms and tried to keep his guilty face out of Connie's vision. He sweat under the blaze of the sun as he reflected back on his behaviour. Had he really given his himself away? He thought he had been acting pretty normal. She wasn't supposed to know he had a surprise planned — that ruined the whole point of it!

A hand waving rapidly in front of his face snapped him out of his contemplation as Connie scooted into his vision. "Earth to Steven? You still on-planet?" she grinned teasingly at him and Steven felt like his heart was thumping a little louder.

"Ye...yeah," Steven blushed, scratching the back of his head in nervousness. "I guess I wasn't really able to hide it huh?"

"You've been zoning out like that all day," Connie shook her head, sitting down cross-legged across from him. "So, spill. What's the matter?"

Steven sighed out and took a deep breath. He supposed this would be the moment, then. He gripped his fingers into his pants as he summoned up the courage to begin.

"Today was pretty fun, wasn't it?" Steven let out, voice high and over-enthused. His head let out an internal wail as he inadvertently blurted out the wrong sentence.

But Connie took it in stride, looking a little confused but nodded anyway. "It definitely was - it feels like forever since I've...been able to just goof off like that. But you're dodging my question, Steven," Connie berated. The speed of her shift to be admonishing — in a voice that reminded him far too much of Pearl — startled Steven.

"Sorry, sorry, this is just...hard to get out," Steven grimaced, looking down into his lap. Once again, Connie's rough, calloused hand entered his vision, the girl placing it atop his own. He looked up and his heart sung as he saw her face close, eyes beseeching, mouth pointed downward in a concerned frown.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Connie asked, voice soft and anxious. Steven hated the idea that he was making her feel that way.

In a bold move, he clasped her hand in both of his, nodding and staring at her intensely.

"I know, Connie. I know I can always count on you."

"St-Steven?" Connie stammered out, her face now the one blushing.

"The truth is…" Steven gulped, trying desperately to hang onto his bravery as he struggled to get what he needed to say out. "I've been thinking about us a lot lately."

"Thinking...how?" Connie's eyes narrowed in suspicion and curiosity and Steven met her gaze steadily. He could see she was on edge, but there might not be any helping that if he wanted to be honest.

"Connie...we've been through so much now. It's...it's been great, but it's also been really scary a lot of the time. I'm just...so...glad that I've gotten to share it all with you," he smiled gently and squeezed her hand. "It means a lot to me. I've...I've never really had a friend like you before."

Connie's mouth hung open slightly at Steven's words and he couldn't read what was running through her mind. She suddenly snapped her posture upward, a small smile on her lips.

"I've loved every minute of it, Steven," she declared proudly, but her smile fell as she realized how that sounded. "Well, not every minute of it...but...I've really liked being with you through all this. Like I said before I…." she turned her gaze away and downwards to the sand. "I want to be part of your Universe." She turned back to stare at him passionately, eyes looking at him with fire. "And I still do."

Steven felt the edge of his eyes start to water with joy, but he closed them and tried to keep himself composed.

"There's something I've wanted to tell you for a while now," he took hold of her hand and lifted them both off the sandy beach, Connie willingly going along. "But I can't figure out how to say it."

Steven let his fingers slip through hers — momentarily missing the warm touch — before pulling his phone out of his pocket, fiddling with the screen and planting it in the sand. A soft, lulling guitar sounded out from the device, vaguely familiar, but wordless.

He grinned as he pulled his arm over his eyes and turned back to face Connie, hand extended outward in a familiar gesture. The nostalgia of the moment made his heart swell; he only hoped it was doing the same for her.

"So I figure I'd try and show it. Come dance with me," he spoke softly. He didn't have to wait long for Connie to clasp her hand back in his, completing him once again.

"I thought you'd never ask," Connie teased, earning a small giggle from the both of them. The two moved slowly from side to side, matching the quiet rhythm of the music as the sunset bathed them in a bright aura.

Connie rested her head on Steven's chest, ear pressed to his heartbeat. Steven sighed as he held her, nerves washing away in the tide-like motion of their slow dance.

"Where did you get this song from," Connie asked, sounding sleepy, completely at peace. "I don't recognize it."

Steven looked away shyly. "That's my guitar. I tried to come up with a song, but the words didn't come out right. So I kept it simple."

"Well, it sounds nice," Connie complimented at as the distant, soft strings continue to play. Steven grinned into her hair, content to let the chords speak for him.

They continued to move as one, rocking side to side, as the sun crested the horizon and gave way to darkness. Their breathing slowed as they turned along with the Earth. Contentment and belonging rose through both of them.

As their hearts started to beat together, a soft glow penetrated the darkness, enveloping the duo as their song ended.

In that moment, they knew.

They held onto themselves, spinning with their eyes closed, relishing in the feeling of being together in everything. Their joyous laughter echoed out into the night.

* * *

Little late Converse Bomb 3, but here's my submission. Because I am a filthy, shipping, sap =D

Thanks again to my editor Meepyonnee for her help on this.

Feel free to leave kudos and/or comments if you enjoyed it.


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